Flexible link-shaft.



No. 855,106. PATENTED MAY 28, 1907.

' E. HBNSEL.

FLEXIBLE LINK SHAFT.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 31, 19Q6.

' I Q UnITED "s'r T s,

'E IL. HENSEL, or BERLIN, GERMANY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

FLEXIBLE LINK-SHAFT.

Patented May 28, 1907.

Application filed January 31,1906. Serial 110,298,806.

1 ,T all whomit may concern.-

Be it known that I, EMIL HENsEL, prolp rietor of. a factory, a subject of the German ball-and-socket joint, and of ,"t uhulafi links' I Y connected with one another by means of suit- 1 5 mechanical power.

eror, and a resident of 34 Gorlitzer Ufer,

Ber in S. 0., Germany, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in and Relatmg'to Flexible Lin -Shafts, ofwhich.

the following is a specification.

Flexible shafts are known consisting of sections connected by transverse pins at their ends, and of links adapted to be connected to one another in the form of an interlocking ably arranged bolts. Such flexible shafts are,qualified to transmit'motion and small The present invention consists of a flexible link shaft by means of which large mechanical power may be transmitted even with a smal number of revolutions, an alternating direction of these revolutions being of no influence. In order to attain this result I apply tubular links respectively connected and provided with teeth on their faces. The teeth of said links fit each other but the teeth of one link do not quite reach the bottom of the cuttings between the opposite teeth of the adjoining link.

faces of the teet very broad in order to di- 'rectly transmit during the rotation of the;

, shaft the motion of one link to the other and hereby to also transmit the mechanical power. The teeth of the succeeding links are are I ranged in'steps in order tofacilitate the transmission 0 power.

The connect'ons of the single links may be effected by difierently constructed means, but they must be under all conditions of such a construction that the teeth can not come out of gear. The links may be connected by bolts with ball formed heads, each head pro assing vided with a passage for a pin al ough through the w s of the link and t said head. The passages through the two heads may preferablybe bored at right angles to each other and-comically enlarged toward their ends in order to allow a free -motion of the links in all directions. i

The distinguishing feature of the present invention is that the' ower or motion is transmitted by the tu ular links, whereas It is very im ortant to make the lateral the bolts merely serve to connect the links andkeep them in such a position that the 'teeth of one link may engage the teeth of the which like letters refer to like parts throughout the different views.

Figure 1 shows a front-view of the flexiblelink-shaft.' Fig.2 shows a lon itudinal'section throu h one link of the s aft. Fig.' 3 I shows the ont face of a link. Fig.- 4 shows a longitudinal section through two links and connected directly by a bolt. Fig. 5 shows a vertical section on line ITII Fig. 4. I

. The flexible shaft comprises the links 1 which are added one tothejother in any desired number. The end-links 2 carry on one end, and the intermediate links 1 on both ends the teeth 3, cooperating with each other whereby the ends of-the teeth 3, do not uite touch the bottom of the cuttings-'4.

he teeth '3 ofone link succeeding the teeth of another link are arranged in stag ered relation, as shown in Fig. 1, to facilitate the I transmission of power. j

The teeth 3 are provided with broad lat- 8 eral faces as shown in H s. 2 and 3. The teeth of one link exactly t the teeth of the next link, and large mechanical forces may" be transmitted. These joints of the links allow the shaft to be rotated, if'desired, in either direction, without showing any effect on the transmitting of the mechanical power or movement.

Fig. 4 showsthe links connected by a bolt 5 provided on both ends with-'ball-formed 9 heads 6, directly and ivotally connected to the links 1. The hea s 6 are provided with. holes 7, the holes being preferabl bored at i right angles to each other to al ow a free movement in all directions. The jiins8 are passed through the holes 7 of the inks 1. 9 1s a hole for theoiling of the inner mechan- 1sm. as.

j The number of the links joined togetherv and the number of theteeth provided onthe 9 faces of said links may be of any desired numher without exceeding the scope of my invention The joining of the links may be efiecteddn any desired way, but important and essential features of my flexible shaft are that the teeth of the links have broad 1. In a flexible link shaft the combination of a number of tubular. links, teeth bein pro- ""vided on theadjoinin'g faces of said links, the eeth ofsucceeding li'nks-bein in sta gered relation, said teeth having broad lateral "-Effaces'for transmittin motion and force of' one link to the next, olts inserted into arid -ieonneetin said links said b'olts being pro- ,vided wit ballsformed headshaving holes,

pins passing through said holes, said pins-being vfirmly connected to the links, all substantially as set'fo'rth.

'c 2. In a flexible link shaft the combination of a number of tubular links-teeth being pro-,

2 vided on the adjoining faces of said links, theteeth of succeeding links being in staggered relation, said teeth having broad faces adapted to transmit motion and force and connecting saidlinks, said bolts; being 2 ateral from one link tothe next, bolts insertedinto provided with ball-formed heads havin holes, said holes being comically enlar e; from the center of the headto the outside, pins passing through said holes, said pins being firmly connected to the links, allsub: o stantially as set forth;

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 13th day of January 1906, in the presence nof" two subscribing Witnesses.

EMIL HENSEL.

Witnesses: I i

.WOLDEMAR HAUPT,

BENnnHAsPER; I 

